2006 News

Wednesday 20th December 2006

Matthew Does It Again....

Matthew Tam, in conjunction with Dr David Heylings (School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, UEA), Professor Duncan Bell (School of Computing Sciences, UEA) and with the support of Dr Stuart Williams (Dept of Radiology, NNUH), gave a talk entitled 'Making Cross-Sectional Imaging an Accessory Adjunct in Anatomy Education' to the British Association of Clinical Anatomists. The abstract is pending publication.

Matthew was awarded the Conrad Lewin Prize 2006 for the 'best paper presented by a young scientist'.

Research is ongoing into validating the efficacy of using 'disect' and cross-sectional imaging for undergraduate anatomy education.

Monday 13th November 2006

GE PACS Day

A one day course was held at the academy with more than 60 delegates.

Monday November 13th 2006

NHS e-learning Initiative Scoops International Award

The NHS Radiology Integrated Training Initiative (R-ITI) has won the prestigious ‘e-learning team of the year award’ at the 2006 E-Learning Age Awards.

In a ceremony in London, the team behind the innovative e-learning approach to training new radiologists beat others from across the world with an entry that ‘set it apart from all other award entries this year’. Described by the judges as ‘amazing’, the large, diverse and virtual R-ITI team have created an integrated e-learning system, which allows trainee radiologists to learn the core curriculum of this highly specialised medical discipline in a more effective and efficient way.

For its effective use of limited resources, the project was also awarded a Special Commendation, with the judges' recommendation that the team return next year and enter for the 'best e-learning product'. The team of highly skilled developers and over 350 content authors from the radiology profession have worked together to create what has become the biggest e -learning project in Europe.

With over 600 hours of highly interactive learning material now available, the team has created an NHS IT success story. Alan Ryan, R-ITI project director welcomed the award as it gave the project the profile needed to gain acceptance from other medical and healthcare specialities as well as offering awareness abroad where there is now growing interest in what has been achieved in the UK : ‘We have already seen some interest in this approach to training from Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia and we know that there will be great interest in the project from the Americans when we present the R-ITI project at the Radiology Society of North America (RNSA) later this month’. TheeLD is a comprehensive portfolio of e-learning tutorials (called sessions) used in the academies.

There are 1,000 e-learning sessions, making this the largest medical e-learning project of its type in the world. The sessions are based upon a detailed curriculum specifically derived for this project from the existing training syllabus of the Royal College of Radiologists. The flexibility of e-learning means that the materials can be used as part of a blended, directed course of learning or as self-directed learning to suit the requirements of the individual learner and the training environment.

Friday 7th July 2006

East Anglian Spine Meeting - Chaired by Robert Crawford

The meeting was chaired by Orthopaedic Consultant, Bob Crawford with 32 attendees. A buffet style lunch was provided by the Academy.

30th June 2006

Student Radiographers Successfully Complete Their Training

19th June 2006

Benjamin Gooch Prize 2006

The annual Benjamin Gooch Prize, which is awarded for the best original research by a junior hospital doctor, was held on Monday 19h June 2006. The first prize was awarded to Mr Phillip Johnston, SpR in Orthopaedics and the runner up prize was awarded jointly to Dr Matthew Tam, SpR in Radiology and Mr. Matthew Hawker, SpR in Ophthalmology Pictured from left to right: Dr Mark Pasteur RCP Tutor, Dr Tam, Mr Johnston, Mr Hawker. The Benjamin Gooch Prize is a prize awarded for the presentation of original research by the junior medical staff. Dr Klass and Dr Tam are undertaking research on the use of simulation in medical education, and specifically in the field of interventional radiology using the Procedicus VIST™ machine installed at the Academy, with the support of Dr Williams, Dr Toms and Dr Cockburn. They are trying to understand how the machine can be used and incorporated into training. The data presented to the prize included registrars' attitudes to the use of simulation and results of the pilot experiment, showing improving performance, decreased time, decreased use of fluoroscopy and more confidence with use and selection of appropriate equipment. Their research is ongoing.

5th April 2006

PET CT/Spect Study Day

On 5th April 2006 Siemens Medical Solutions sponsored a regional study day for diagnostic and therapy student radiographers, based at Suffolk College Ipswich, their lecturers and the Specialist Registrars based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the Norwich Radiology Academy.

The study day was entitled PET CT/Spect – An Introduction and covered topics including the history of PET, Modern PET/CT and Scanning techniques for Oncology Neurology & Cardiac Imaging and Advances in Spect and Spect CT Cardiac & Oncology Imaging all presented by experts from the Siemens team.

The afternoon was given over to a Cardiac Case Study presented by a senior Radiographer from the Nuclear Medicine Dept.

This was the first joint regional study and was very well received. We would like to offer a huge thank you to Jonathan Gifford and his team at Siemens.

3rd Feb 2006

Pioneering Radiology Academy at Norfolk and Norwich

Established in the Autumn of 2005, the Radiology Academy at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is one of only three completely new state-of-the-art facilities in England specially created for training consultant radiologists.

Pictured with Mrs Wivell in the Radiology Academy PACS room are (from left): GE Healthcare Business Manager, Imaging & Information Systems Northern Europe, Andy Cross and IIS Sales Specialist David Blake. The new Academy PACS room equipped by GE Healthcare, integrates PACS and web-based technologies with traditional apprentice-style training. The room contains twelve double headed PACS workstations and PCs with highspeed connections to the worldwide web. The Academy also has three seminar and training rooms equipped with sophisticated audio visual equipment which incorporates double-headed PACS workstations and dual data projection. Comments Radiology Manager Glynis Wivell, “The concept of the Academy is to teach radiologist to get the full benefit from the PACS environment, which will undoubtedly be the future of the speciality.”

The Academy is also one of the first in the UK to have a sophisticated system for voice only reporting. Mrs Wivell adds, “This function is a real advantage, the system is clear and unambiguous and means the reports are instantly stored with the images and available for all involved parties to access.” Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is one of the most ‘PACS literate’ institutions in the UK, having used GE systems for five years. Currently in progress is a major update of the hospitals system with sixty replacement PACS workstations, including seventeen Diagnostic reporting workstations with dual high-resolution greyscale flat panel monitors and third colour monitor for RIS. This is complemented by front end RIS-PACS integration to support the introduction of voice reporting services, re-integration of diagnostic imaging modalities and information systems and replacement of PACS administration, teleradiology and film digitising workstations. This PACS technology refresh used Prince 2 project management methodologies to ensure the upgrade was implemented on-schedule and with minimal disruption to the users.

23rd Jan 2006

First Training Course is a Held at the Radiology Academy

The newly opened Radiology Academy, although concentrating on the Aplio80/XV Toshiba's "New" Xario ultrasound system was also included.

The course, held over two days,both days being similar in content to allow all department members to attend either day for maximum coverage, contained. relevant system controls lectures with plenty of "hands on".

"The facilities at the Academy are "state of the art" and suited Toshiba's presentaion style perfectly", commented Phil Wade - General Manager Ultrasound Products for Toshiba Medical Systems Ltd, Phil went on to say "

Since being awarded the tender contract to be involved in the Department of Health's Radiologist Training initiatve at both Norfolk and Norwich,and the Derriford Plymouth Radiology Academy ,Toshiba intend to strengthen the relationship with the Academies, holding more training days at both sites.

19th Jan 2006

Talking Saves Time for Radiologists

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is leading the way in developing a hands-free hi-tech computer system for preparing diagnostic reports on patients. Around half the consultant radiologists at NNUH are now using specialised voice recognition software andthe newly opened Radiology Academy, based at the Cotman Centre, is the first in the country to incorporate the new system as part of its specialist training programme.

Consultants in histopthathology - where tissue samples are analysed for diagnostic purposes - are also starting to use an adapted version of the system for their laboratory reports.

It means that reports can now be authorised and delivered to clinicians or GPs in a single process, without the need to touch the keyboard or mouse. Previously the reports would have been recorded to tape, typed by a secretary, then checked and authorised at a later date by the reporting doctor.

Originally developed to provide a hand-free command system for fighter pilots, speech recognition software was first trialled by the IT team at NNUH four years ago. Radiology took up the idea with enthusiasm and a Milton Keynes-based company, GHG Software Developments, was chosen to develop a system that would meet their needs.

Consultant radiologist Dr Graham Hurst says the system has improved efficiency and significantly reduces the time it takes to produce patient reports. "With some 200,000 radiology reports being generated every year from CT and MRI scans, it made sense to speed up the process of reporting our findings," he explained.

"I find the great advantage of voice-recognition is that I can produce reports at the same time as examining the images on screen, then check the written report straight away, while my memory of the diagnosis is still fresh. Many GPs are linked electronically so the text report can be sent to them in a matter of seconds."

The latest software, called ‘Talking Point’, incorporates a specialist vocabulary for Radiology and is fully integrated with both PACS - our Picture, Archive and Communication System, which displays X-ray images and scans - and the Radiology IWEB reporting system.

Malcolm Grant, director of GHG Software Developments says: "We're delighted that our system has been such a success at NNUH. Research shows that speech recognition saves money and also improves patient care. It cuts reporting times because text files can be sent electronically to GPs and other clinicians."

Bob Ownsworth, IT engineer at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, has been closely involved in the development process, providing network facilities to store the individual speech files that are generated for each consultant. This means consultants can gain access to their speech files from any of the computers in their department.

"It’s exciting to be involved in this project," says Bob. "Talking Point' seems very versatile and there is considerable scope for deploying this technology in other areas of the hospital, based on the success achieved in Radiology and Pathology."